Method and system for wireless network management

• US 10,462,694 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2017
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Montemurro, Michael Peter, Durand, Roger Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Beyen, Zewdu A
• Application Number:
  US15/818,307
• Publication Number:
  US 20180077597A1
• Time in Patent Office: 708 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 370/913 Wireless or radio

Abstract

Methods and systems for wireless network management are described. In one embodiment, a radio measurement of a characteristic of a wireless access technology may be taken. The wireless access technology may enable data communication through a wireless network when connected to an access point. A report may be transmitted through an alternate access technology. The report may be based on the radio measurement. Additional methods and systems are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

generating, at a wireless device, a report associated with a wireless local area network (WLAN), wherein the report is generated in response to a report request received from a network access point to resolve problems with the WLAN, the report request comprising a notification sub-element including a uniform resource locator (URL) associated with an alternate access technology to connect the wireless device to the network access point, the URL used for transmission in response to transmission errors through the WLAN;

sending the report to the network access point through the WLAN;

determining that the report was not received by the network access point through the WLAN; and

in response to a loss of the connection to the WLAN, resending the report, through the alternate access technology using the URL, from the wireless device to the network access point.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining an availability of the alternate access technology prior to transmission of the report, the alternate access technology comprising a wireless connection or a wired connection.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the report through the WLAN comprises:

resending the report at a different data rate than that at which the report was previously sent from the wireless device to the network access point.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising using the report to diagnose a network problem.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the wireless device sends the report to the network access point through the wired connection upon determining that the report was not received by the network access point after resending the report through the wireless connection.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the report is a diagnostic report or an event report.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the event report contains an indication of either success or failure.

8. An apparatus for wireless communication, the apparatus comprising one or more hardware processors or circuits that:

generate a report associated with a wireless local area network (WLAN), wherein the report is generated in response to a report request received from a network access point to resolve problems with the WLAN, the report request comprising a notification sub-element including a uniform resource locator (URL) associated with an alternate access technology to connect the apparatus to the network access point, the URL used for transmission in response to transmission errors through the WLAN;

send the report to the network access point through the WLAN;

determine that the report was not received by the network access point through the WLAN; and

in response to a loss of the connection to the WLAN, resend the report, through the alternate access technology using the URL, from the apparatus to the network access point.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the one or more hardware processors or circuits determine an availability of the alternate access technology prior to transmission of the report, the alternate access technology comprising a wireless connection or a wired connection.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the one or more hardware processors or circuits further:

resend the report at a different data rate than that at which the report was previously sent from the apparatus to the network access point.

11. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage having stored thereon computer readable program code for:

generating a report associated with a wireless local area network (WLAN), wherein the report is generated in response to a report request received from a network access point to resolve problems with the WLAN, the report request comprising a notification sub-element including a uniform resource locator (URL) associated with an alternate access technology to connect to the network access point, the URL used for transmission in response to transmission errors through the WLAN;

sending the report to the network access point through the WLAN;

determining that the report was not received by the network access point through the WLAN; and

in response to a loss of the connection to the WLAN, resending the report, through the alternate access technology using the URL, to the network access point.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, the computer readable program code further being for determining an availability of the alternate access technology prior to transmission of the report, the alternate access technology comprising a wireless connection or a wired connection.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, the computer readable program code further being for:

resending the report at a different data rate than that at which the report was previously sent to the network access point.

14. The computer program product of claim 11, the computer readable program code further being for using the report to diagnose a network problem.

15. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the report is sent to the network access point through the wired connection upon determining that the report was not received by the network access point after resending the report through the wireless connection.

16. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the report is a diagnostic report or an event report that contains an indication of either success or failure.